Jump Start # 222

Luke 10:30 “Jesus replied and said, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.”

  This verse begins the parable of the good Samaritan. That expression, ‘Good Samaritan’, has become a common term used to describe the generosity of one person toward someone else, usually a stranger, and usually someone who is in some form of a crisis. In some cities, you will find hospitals that are named, “Good Samaritan.”

  Jesus told this parable to answer a question. Right before this a man stood up and asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Great question. Jesus asked him what does the Law teach? His response: Love God and love your neighbor. This guy was sharp. On another occasion when Jesus is asked what is the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus would give the same answer. Do that, Jesus said, and you will have eternal life. The man then asked, “Who is my neighbor?” The good Samaritan story is the answer to that question.

  The story is not necessarily a nice story. It involves violence, theft, neglect and indifference. There are several key characters in this story.

• The victim: he is just minding his business, most likely going home to Jericho from Jerusalem. Had he been there to worship? Possibly. The route descends from the mountains around Jerusalem to the flatlands of Jericho. It is twisty, narrow road and known to be an easy place for desperados to attack innocent travelers.

• The thieves: they didn’t just rob this man, they beat him, stripped him and left him for dead. They took his possessions, his health, his dignity and his hope. Life meant nothing to these thugs. Their kind are still around today.

• The priest: likely having finished work in the temple, was traveling home to Jericho. Many priest lived nearby in Jericho. He saw the man. It wasn’t that he didn’t know. He knew. He passed on the other side. Touching a dead body would make a person unclean by the law. But he didn’t know the man was dead or alive. I’m not getting involved. Could it be a trick and the thieves would jump out and rob him as well? It’s not my problem. I’ve got things to do. Whatever the reason, he passed by. He did nothing.

• The Levite: This was a Jew from the tribe of Levi. This is the priestly tribe. All priests came from the tribe of Levi. This man, most likely was not a priest, but he may have served in the temple and helped the priest. He too, passed the injured man. Did nothing. Has he no heart? No conscience? Is anything more important than helping a person?

• The Samaritan: he is the hero of the story. Using a Samaritan was a slap to the smug Jewish face. The Jews despised Samaritans so much that they refused to travel through that region. Samaritan’s had a Jewish heritage but had married outside the nation. They were not accepted by Jewish people. The Samaritan sees the same thing that the priest and Levite saw. But he stops. He tends to the wounds of the injured man. He puts him on his donkey and took him to an inn and left money for his care. He promised to pay for more care if it was necessary. A foreigner saved this victim.

  Why did the Samaritan do that? It costs him. It took of his time. It was inconvenient. He most likely did not know the victim. Had the roles been reversed, the victim, a Jew, would not have helped a Samaritan. He would have thought, ‘he got what he deserved.’ He did this because he showed mercy and love. No matter what the reason, the excuse or justification, the priest and the Levite added further injury to the wounded man.

  Who is my neighbor? Any one I can help. The Samaritan wasn’t the government. He wasn’t the church. He wasn’t the Red Cross, the Salvation Army or some massive organization. He was one person, simply doing what he could do. That is the point of this story. We want others to do what we are supposed to do. Why doesn’t the church do something we cry? Isn’t that why we pay taxes we say? Jesus wants you to do what you can and should do. Without the Samaritan the victim would have died.

  There are opportunities all around us to show mercy and love. Those chances are often lost because we spin our wheels wanting to organize something huge, or we waste time complaining because no one else is doing anything, and the victim lies bleeding.

  Open your heart…open your wallet…open your schedule…open your eyes…this is what Jesus wants us to do! This is Christianity in action. It is a heart based faith that moves us!

Roger